Pastor Says He Fears God More Than Homeland Security

c. 2006 Religion News Service (UNDATED) A United Methodist pastor in Chicago said Thursday (Aug. 17) he will not bar his church door if officials come seeking illegal immigrant Elvira Arellano, but he expects authorities will have to “deal with God.” The church, located in the heavily Latino Humboldt Park neighborhood, has been housing Arellano, […]

c. 2006 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) A United Methodist pastor in Chicago said Thursday (Aug. 17) he will not bar his church door if officials come seeking illegal immigrant Elvira Arellano, but he expects authorities will have to “deal with God.”

The church, located in the heavily Latino Humboldt Park neighborhood, has been housing Arellano, a 31-year-old Mexican immigrant and member of the church, and her 7-year-old son, Saul, since 9 a.m. Tuesday _ the time she was ordered to report to the Department of Homeland Security for possible deportation.


“I fear God a lot more than I do Homeland Security,” said the Rev. Walter Coleman, pastor of Adalberto United Methodist Church, in an interview.

“We hope that the federal government _ our government _ will respect the dignity and sanctity of the church, and the faith and the family, and that they will not violate that,” Coleman said. “If they do, we’re not at war with the government.”

Tim Counts, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), said he could not discuss the agency’s plans to enter the church. A statement from ICE said authorities would “arrest and deport her, as required by law, at an appropriate time and place.”

Arellano said in a translated statement that if deported, she would serve as a martyr.

“If Homeland Security chooses to send its agents on to Holy Ground to arrest me, than (sic) I will know that God wants me to be an example of the hatred and hypocrisy of the current policy of this government. I am at peace with my decision,” she said in the statement.

Coleman said about 2,000 people have visited the church over the last few days.

Arellano and her son have been sleeping in an upstairs office, which also serves as a makeshift press room. The two are well-fed, with restaurants and supporters donating “enough food to feed an army,” Coleman said.

Counts said the fact that Arellano is sheltered in a church would not necessarily shield her from deportation. “ICE has the authority to arrest anyone in violation of immigration law anywhere in the United States,” Counts said.


Houses of worship have traditionally served as a sanctuary for criminals and fugitives. Coleman said Arellano was the first illegal immigrant housed at his church.

“We need to fix our broken system, but we need to do it in a humane way that provides legalization for the people who are already here,” Coleman said.

He explained that current immigration laws concern the church for two reasons.

“Number one: We should welcome the stranger and treat him like one of us,” Coleman said, citing passages from the Book of Exodus. “Secondly, the church is already called to stand up against hypocrisy.”

The pastor said that while large companies profit from illegal labor, the law is applied with the full brunt to those who are “least culpable.”

Leaders from the United Church of Christ and Catholic churches in Chicago have backed the Adalberto Methodist Church for sheltering Arellano, Coleman said.

“I think we’re more united on this issue across denominations than any other issue I can think of in recent times,” Coleman said of the Christian church’s support for immigration reform.


Arellano, who works as a custodian at O’Hare International Airport, has also been a vocal advocate for immigration reform. She is the founder and president of La Familia Latina Unida, which advocates keeping immigrant families together.

She was arrested in 2002 when immigration authorities discovered that she had been using a false Social Security number to gain employment after having been deported previously.

The church, which normally seats about 250 people, has been bustling since Tuesday. Midday Thursday, Coleman estimated that there were about 150 people on-site, including church members and immigration activists.

Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., who has been a strong promoter of immigration reform, has visited Arellano at the church.

“She just really collapsed in his arms in tears, she was so happy to see him,” said church member Cathy Archibald.

The front of the church has become a bulletin board for supporters, who have posted petitions and letters. A large sign saying “Holy Sanctuary” announces the church’s role as a refuge, Archibald said.


Christians of various denominations, along with some people of different faiths, have been joining in services and prayer circles over the past few days.

“They’ve been very moving, and there’s a lot of singing,” Archibald said.

Coleman seemed hopeful about the prospects for Arellano.

“We hope that her witness continues in the church and that God will break their hearts of stone,” the pastor said.

KRE/PH END GLASS

Editors: To obtain photos to accompany this story, go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug.

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